This year's Thanksgiving saw my girlfriend survive the over-cooking marathon that has seen myself gain at least 10 pounds (with a big smile on my face), a 7-lb. smoked turkey that needed more than the recommended 4 hrs (I screwed that up), a stuffing recipe that was new and delicious (but was aggravating for my head chef), and we still have leftovers, but something was missing from the experience - Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

The 1987 classic flick from the mind of John Hughes makes Thanksgiving that much more special, and yet this year we could not find it on TV.  Turns out that our cable system had hijacked the movie and was charging $2.95 for the film this year.  Really?  Were they Kidding?  Obviously not.  Spending a few bucks is not a big deal, but it is the principal of this that we resisted temptation and waited for it to come up over the weekend - it didn't!

The need for this movie this holiday season is a must for anyone, with John Candy at his comedic best and Steve Martin in such pain trying to get home for Thanksgiving that you feel every agonizing bad thing happen to his character.  The film has inspired me to create this week's version of "The Playlist" to be based on 2 parts of the '87 film - Planes and Trains.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is considered the biggest travel day of the year, and the airports are always full that day, which bring the Amtrak volume even higher than usual.  The last place we want to be stuck during the holiday season is an airport or a rail station.  Your iPod may be your salvation to escape from this - I'd say iPad but you have that on your holiday wish list, so play along here.

"The Playlist" features 20 great songs on Planes and Trains that will keep you distracted, and maybe even smiling during any layover (with no Midnight Train stop in Georgia, or a beagle battling a Red Baron):

B.O.B. / Haley Williams - Aeroplanes (The wish right now is to get home)

The Clash - Train in Vain (They tried in the movie, and failed)

Kylie Minogue - The Locomotion (Are you doing that brand new dance now?)

Soul Asylum - Runaway Train ("Wrong way on a one way track" - that's not good)

Quad City DJ's - Come On Ride The Train (Isn't that Amtrak's slogan?)

The Fray - Over My Head (subtitled Cable Car - it's a train)

Def Leppard - Rocket (Sort of a plane in outer space right?)

The Farm - Groovy Train (Psychedelic?  Not really - 90s New Wave)

Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away (What planes do!)

Train - Get To Me (that's the goal here isn't it?)

Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone ("Highway to the Danger Zone" -  Remember Top Gun?)

Berlin - The Metro (that's a Subway train)

Steve Miller Band - Jet Airliner (How about a Boeing 787?)

Sheena Easton - Morning Train (You owned the song back in the day - admit it!)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Aeroplane ("Pleasure spiked with Pain" - the true traveling experience)

Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (love the family in the Honda commercial bopping that song)

Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly (great video with the band on a plane)

Rod Stewart - Downtown Train (one slow song allowed here)

Paul McCartney and Wings - Jet (Wings and Jet together?  Winner!)

The O'Jays - Love Train (Love is what the holidays is all about)

Always feel free to add your ideas to "The Playlist" every week, or challenge me with a theme and I'll see what I can do to come up with 20 songs around it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More From SoJO 104.9 FM